Looking for backgrounds for use in various media projects, or images for your desktop? Here is a simple way to make some great backgrounds or desktops. Open iTunes and play a random group of songs. Open Visualizer in window mode, and select the Grab utility or your favorite capture utility. With the Visualizer running, capture a window -- you could use the built-in Shift-Command-4 plus Space Bar, for instance.

Select the visualizer window and hold down the mouse button. Hold it down until you get just what you want onscreen, then let it go. It's all a matter of timing. If you're a Photoshop user, add some texture or other artistic effects, and raise your images to a new level.

[robg adds: You could also enter full-screen mode via Command-F and then use a full-screen capture (Shift-Command-3), which would probably be the best way to capture a desktop background. You might also want to press ? to read about the keys you can use to change the visualizer -- and don't forget, there are a few hidden keys as well. I seem to recall older versions of iTunes would set the full-screen resolution to 800x600 or lower when invoked, but when I tested it this morning, that's definitely no longer the case, at least on the Mac Pro.]